What does it mean?
P1524 is a Powertrain (engine, transmission, fuel system) fault code. It indicates: Oil Pressure Out Of Range - Camshaft Advance/Retard Disabled .
Symptoms
- Check engine light on with a clear loss of low-end and mid-range torque
- Oil pressure warning appearing at hot idle in some cases
- Rattle from the timing drive on start-up or under load
- Rough idle and slightly higher fuel consumption because the cam timing is fixed
- Engine feels lazy to rev
- Fault often appears when the engine is hot and disappears when cold
Likely causes
- Low engine oil level, or oil long overdue for a change
- Oil viscosity that does not match the specification, especially too thick when cold
- Partly blocked oil pickup screen or a worn oil pump reducing pressure at operating temperature
- Sludge restricting the feed passages to the camshaft phasers
- Faulty oil pressure sensor or a damaged sensor connector giving a false reading
- Cam oil control valve stuck or blocked by debris
- Worn main and big-end bearings lowering hot idle pressure
How to fix it
- Check the oil level and condition and confirm the viscosity matches the specification
- Compare the oil pressure sensor value in live data with a mechanical gauge fitted to the engine block
- If real pressure is low, inspect the pickup screen, the pump and the pressure relief valve
- If real pressure is correct, check the sensor, its connector and wiring for corrosion, chafing and short circuits
- Remove the cam oil control valve and clean or replace its filter screen
- Change the oil and filter with the correct grade and retest the cam angle response
- Consider internal engine wear only after the gauge measurement confirms genuinely low pressure